The latest lack of updates has been due to the endless hassles of Christmas (which appear not to be over until February) and then constant renovations on the house. Which practically involve Nigel way too much.
But today we are both back to it. Nigel is working on this variation of encaustic medium in a similar style to previous works. (It is actually the same smaller image i mentioned in a previous blog). He is working on it for an exhibition and prize run by the Medical Association for Prevention of War (Australia) called artists for peace (click and check out their website). Essentially an awesome idea, the work has to be thematically linked to the organisation of course. And I will update with an image as soon as I am provided with one.
I have included the above image because it is a detail from Jasper Johns' Flag (1954-55). Johns
used encaustic in its traditional form (a beeswax base). He literally embedded things inside his images. I guess looking at this image as a whole, the textured, layered and almost abject American flag, we could assume that Johns could have entered this into a similar prize.
Nigel instead is using a mixture of Paraffin and Micro-crystalline wax coloured with pigments and oil paints. These more refined types of wax make the surface even more translucent. As opposed to Johns' surfaces these images of Nigel's will more likely have a surface scraped clean and smooth. What exciting potential this medium has. And it is so great to see Nigel using more of a painting technique. This connection of what Nigel is doing and Johns' work is my interpretation rather than Nigel's motivation or instigation.
Next i will include an image of this prize piece in progress with the hope of discussing or reflecting upon how the image fits within the themes surround war and peace.
